Reasons Why We Need to Break Bottled Water Addiction

After I got a kidney transplant, my doctor and nurse told me to be very careful with what I put in my mouth and that includes water, foods and raw foods. I particularly paid attention with water, so I started drinking bottled water only. We even bought water dispenser to be sure that the water I am drinking is safe. Then I came across Quality Health News that talks about bottled water whether it is really safe or not! This article caught my attention and I would like to share it with you!

Certain groups, like Think Outside the Bottle, say our country needs to break its bottled water addiction. Here, six reasons why you should kick the plastic habit.

1. Water and oil do mix. Although these two liquids may not get along in the kitchen, oil powers the bottled water industry. The Earth Policy Institute estimates that it takes up to 1.5 million barrels of oil to power the plants that make the plastic for the bottles-that's enough to power 100,000 cars for a year.

2. Natural spring water? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that as much as 25 percent of bottled water comes from municipal sources, a.k.a. tap water. Be sure to check the label and cap of the bottle. If it says "from a community water system" or "from a municipal source," it originates from tap. What's more, the water doesn't always come from the branded source. For example, the water bottled for the Deer Park brand (which originated in Deer Park, Maryland) is taken from counties in Florida and Pennsylvania.

3. Bottled water doesn't go green. The interesting paradox that exists in bottle water consumption is the image it portrays as being healthy and clean, but it is anything but good for the environment.
4. Bottled water gets a pass. Despite astronomical sales, bottled water plants go relatively unchecked. The FDA, which is responsible for regulating bottled water, admits that "bottled water plants generally are assigned low priority for inspection."

5. There's something in the water. The water you're drinking may not be as clean as you think it is. In 2007, the FDA recalled Jermuk bottled water sold in California after finding trace amounts of arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical that can be toxic at very high levels.

6. Support for the tap. Contrary to popular opinion, tap water isn't necessarily healthier than bottled water. After conducting an extensive, four-year review of the bottled water industry, the NRDC concluded that bottled water is not any safer or cleaner than tap water. If taste is the issue, opt for home filters. Depending on your needs, you can choose to install one on your refrigerator or on your faucet or you can simply store a pitcher of filtered water in the fridge. Ultimately, filtering your own tap water can save you money and help the environment.

Cool 'n' Crunchy Chicken Salad

I am not a fan of sandwiches particularly tuna or chicken salad sandwich; but this recipes really made me love it. It is so yummy and healthy, too! I am sharing this with you guys, in case you want to try it.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 large hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon sugar
black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Dice or shred chicken.
Chop egg, onion and celery. Place in a large bowl.
Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and black pepper. Stir all ingredients together.
Cover and chill overnight or at least 2 hours before serving.
If desired, serve on bread, roll, croissant or pita bread with green leaf lettuce.

Enjoy!

Shirmps, our family's favorites.....

My family and I love eating and cooking; that is why I cook a lot of variety of foods in our kitchen. One of our favorites is shrimp. I came in a country with lots of different sea foods, fresh and inexpensive. I learned to cook by watching my mother cooks sea foods in a lot of ways. I love shrimp because it is very easy to cook; in just a matter of minutes you have it, ready to be eaten. I cook it the easiest way I know; after cleaning (removing the skin, deveining and rinsing)., just drop it on a hot wok with a very little vegetables oil or butter and minced garlic, I stir it a little bit, then seasoned it with salt and pepper, cover and let it steam for a minute or two then here you have a very delicious shrimp and top it with chopped parsley. Another way to cook it is to grill it. First of course you have to clean it, dried it with paper towel, then seasoned it with salt and pepper and brush it with a little oil with minced garlic, put it on skewers and then grill it for minutes or till the color turns pink. I am glad my son eats seafood also and my brother in law and his wife was very surprised! Why? Because their son doesn't want to eat fish, all he eats are chicken nuggets. He eats veggies, but still the one the baby eats which is the pureed ones that you can find on the baby section of the grocery store. I wished he would eat variety of foods. I think it boils out to one thing; whatever you serve on the table, is the only food your child will learn to eat.